Owner, GreenStar Cultivation
Craft Cultivator • Systems Master • Clean-Cannabis Evangelist • Nevada Quality Standard-Bearer

The Hotbox with Dustin Hoxworth isn’t your polished PR interview. It’s me getting stoned and asking people the questions they probably aren’t ready for. These aren’t cold reads or copy-paste Q&As; I sit with my guests, usually multiple times, and I’ve likely met them in person, which gives me a window to learn who they really are before I ever send the questions. By the time the words hit the page, it’s smoke-thick honesty, not surface-level bullshit. These are cannabis conversations that showcase the voices, stories, and truths that won’t show up in the boardroom.

The Hotbox with Drew Greco 

There’s a difference between people who grow weed… and people who live it. Nevada has plenty of the first group. Drew Greco is the second.

You can see it in every photo he posts through gorgeous canopy shots, the trichome close-ups, the way he talks about irrigation strategy with the same excitement most people reserve for playoff games. There’s real intention behind the flower at GreenStar, and you feel it the moment you hear Drew speak about “clean cannabis” like it’s both a mission and a responsibility. Because for him, it is.

Drew’s been in the trenches across regulated markets most cultivators only read about, like Colorado, California, Massachusetts, and Nevada. He’s been scaling facilities from 10,000 sq ft boutique rooms to 390,000 sq ft monsters that eat teams alive if they’re not run with discipline. He doesn’t just grow flower; he builds culture, systems, and teams that win because they understand the plant on a cellular level.

Today, through GreenStar Cultivation Services, he’s not just running a craft operation, he’s teaching others how to stop cutting corners, dial in their rooms, and level up their genetics, irrigation, workflows, and facility design. And as a Brand Partner with Fat Nugs Magazine, Drew supports the community and culture at every turn.

This is a man who grinds and shows his work to the rest of us, while still getting excited to walk into the grow every single day.

Welcome to the Hoxbox with Drew Greco. 

Hotbox Q&A: 5 Questions with Drew Greco 

Everyone talks about quality flower, but the definition isn’t always something agreed upon. From your perspective, what are the non-negotiables of true craft cannabis and the things you simply cannot fake in a competitive market like Nevada?

First and foremost, in my opinion, is flavor and smoothness of smoke. I truly believe good flavor comes from quality nutrients, inputs, proper drying and curing processes. I feel that a lot of companies are not paying attention to the drying and curing processes after the plant is harvested, and that’s when all the magic happens! Monitoring water activity and controlled vapor pressure (CVP) during the drying process can help to prevent mold and bacteria from growing in this stage. It will also ensure the best flavor and smoothness when the flower is consumed.

You’ve worked in every type of facility from boutique indoor, massive commercial operations, greenhouse hybrids. When you strip it all down, what are the essential fundamentals every cultivator must master before they even think about scaling?

I think the biggest advantage I have for helping with scaling cultivation operations is my experience with process validation. Labor is one of the top three operational expenses in this business, so being able to reduce labor costs is key to successfully scaling a cultivation operation. Over the past 15 years I have been able to pinpoint processes in the garden that are needed to ensure a quality harvest, while finding processes that do not provide any real value to overall plant health or quality of finished product. Knowing which processes to keep, which processes to adjust, and which processes to discard are huge when scaling up in cultivation.

You’re one of the few voices in Nevada consistently pushing standards upward instead of playing the volume game. What’s your honest take on the current state of the industry? Give me the good, the bad, and the opportunities you’re seeing right now?

Nevada is a tough market! We have some of the toughest regulations in the country, including our testing standards. This means that cultivation facilities have almost zero margin for error, and very small profit margins unless they are a vertical entity. There are a lot of grows shutting down right now, which will hopefully be good for the current over-saturation and lead to a higher price per pound for operators. With that, I am seeing more of the “good guys” surviving the storm. We have a very tight cannabis community here in Vegas, and the people doing things right and providing a good clean product are finally getting the love and attention they deserve!

Through GreenStar Cultivation Services, you’ve helped operators across the country tighten their SOPs, irrigation strategies, workflows, and genetics programs. What are three things you’d tell an up-and-coming cultivator who wants to build a real career, not hype, not shortcuts, but true long-term skill?

1. Get the experience. Growing at home is a great way to master the basics, but you can’t fully understand commercial production without working in a commercial cultivation facility. 
2. Be a sponge. Soak up as much knowledge as you can, even the people doing things the wrong way can teach you something.
3. Network and be a good person. This industry is small, and everyone kind of knows each other, so word travels quickly. If you do bad business, it will follow you forever.

You’ve seen incredible flower in multiple states and worked with some exceptional cultivators. Who do you think is doing it right today, or at least pushing the craft in a way that earns your respect?

There are so many amazing cultivators out there, but there are a couple that I personally know that are really pushing the game. One that really stands out to me is Dave Polly and the Preferred Gardens Team. They are showing that mixed-light greenhouse grown flowers can compete with some of the best indoor grown flower out there. The whole team’s commitment to quality really stands out in everything they do–from the media to the labels on the jars, the breeding projects and pheno hunts, the work these guys are doing is on another level. 

Another cultivator at the top of my list is Derek Reyes with Summa Cannabis right here in Las Vegas. Derek is one of the smartest growers I know, and his knowledge of air quality and microbial loads is impressive. He runs one of the few grows in the valley that uses no irradiation to pass testing. He and his team truly produce a clean product, and have built the Summa brand into a small-batch craft powerhouse here in NV.

Quality isn’t an accident. Clean cannabis isn’t a slogan. And mastery doesn’t show up by chance. It’s earned in the sweat, discipline, and love for the plant that doesn’t disappear when regulations change or markets crash.

Drew Greco is one of the few cultivators keeping the standard high in a state that desperately needs leaders who care. Nevada is better because he’s in it, and the culture is stronger because he shows up for more than himself. Thanks for stepping into The Hotbox with me!